DETROIT -- It took weeks of behind-the-scenes haggling between Nextel, the Red Wings and Steve Yzerman to work out details of the Yzerman mural that is near completion on the Cadillac Towers building. .

This is a well-deserved tribute to a man who has brought a lot to Red Wings fans. But let's not lose sight that Red Wings fans got the ball rolling. What began as casual conversation among Internet Wings fans a year ago took shape with an aggressive petition drive that netted 8,000 signatures the first week and 23,608 total.

This mural is as much a tribute to die-hard Wings fans as it is to Yzerman. If it were left entirely up to Yzerman, this never would have happened. Red Wings fans wanted to make sure Yzerman got his props for nearly two decades of service and three Stanley Cup championships.

"To tell you the truth, I never thought this would happen," said Chet Potoczek, 30, of Wyandotte, who initiated the petition drive along with a few other die-hards. "But I think it is great, though."

Source: The Detroit News